American Idol: Second 12 Compete

I am convinced that most of the performers last night paid absolutely no attention last week when the judges hammered home the point of choosing the right song. I could not believe some of the songs most of the performers sang last night.

Are you kidding?

Besides one performance, which was a farce in itself (looking at you, “Normun Gentle”), the rest were just about average or just plain bad. There were a few that stood out, and a few that surprised me, but over all the song choices were just awful.

Before I dig into the individual reviews and give you my predictions, I’m going to channel my powers of sounding like a broken record, and beg (yes, beg), you all to please join my blog as a follower. I sincerely doubt I only have five readers, so I know you guys are out there. In order for me to expand my readership and get more hits to my blog, I need to have a certain number of readers. Please join if you haven’t already!

Okay I’m done with the begging this week.

Just a note on last week, I called it right didn’t I? Do not despair Anoop fans, I have a very strong feeling you’ll be seeing Anoop-dawg in the Wild Card round in two weeks. I’m pretty happy with the result of the first top three of twelve. But who will make it from this week’s group? Who will be the top three to join Danny, Michael and Alexis?

Like last week, I broke down my assessments of each contestant with 4 categories, based on their chances of making into the Top 12; NO CHANCE, SLIM, GOOD, EXCELLENT.

So shall we begin?

1) Jasmine Murray – sung "Love Song” – What a disappointment she was. I was expecting a great performance and I got mediocre at best. The judges called it on the nose when they said Jasmine picked the wrong song. It just did not fit her at all, and it did not display the range of her voice at all. She is so much better then this, but the choice she made tonight could have possibly doomed her. I believe it was Kara who said she was expecting Jasmine to come out and sing a Rihanna song, and I think I tend to agree. Jasmine’s voice seems to lend itself better to those types of songs, as opposed to the more rock-like “Love Song”. Chances: SLIM

2) Matt Giraud - sung "Viva la Vida” - Yikes, yet another bad choice! (do you see the pattern yet?) I don’t get it. This guy’s voice just does not fit a Coldplay song at all. He’s more soulful then that song, and it really sounded strange. I don’t know if it’s the way it was sung, or if he slowed it down too much. (yes, even slower then the song actually is) His performance was a bit spastic, and didn’t do a good job of showcasing his vocal talents very well. Still, however, I think he’s more memorable then most of the contestants tonight. Add to that that he’s very easy on the eyes. (is it just me, or does he have a strong resemblance to Justin Timberlake?) Both these factors are strong enough to make me think that despite his performance, he has a good chance of squeezing into the Top Twelve as the “runner-up” tonight. Chances: GOOD

3) Jeanine Vailes – sung "This Love" - Yikes, this was almost as bad as Casey Carlson’s disastrous rendition of “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” from last week. This poor girl went into her performance with a handicap to start, suffering the from “no exposure” infection; no one heard of her before the Top 36 were announced. Couple this with the fact that this performance was borderline excruciating, and you can sort of guess what this girl’s chances are. She was pitchy and over sung most of the lyrics. And big shock, it’s because it was the completely wrong song for her. Maroon 5 is a great band, but this song just did not fit her voice at all.
Chances: NO CHANCE

4) Nick Mitchell (Normun Gentle) - sung "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going” - I think this farce has gone on long enough. A few people have pointed out to me that they like Nick, that he brings something different to the show, and that he is very entertaining. I will concede to both those points, but, come on, is this really the right stage for him? I will have to agree with Paula (write it down, it hardly ever happens), when she said while she was thoroughly entertained, this might not be the right place to display his brand of entertainment. I will agree with her completely; this is not America’s got Talent, this is American Idol. If we were looking for America’s favorite entertainer, then I would be rooting for Nick to get through. But we’re not, we’re looking for America’s favorite singer, and while Nick does have a good voice, it is completely overshadowed by his crazy antics. Ultimately, I will agree with Simon and say that we might have seen the last of Normun Gentle tonight. Chances: NO CHANCE

5) Allison Iraheta – sung "Alone" – Another girl who suffered from relative obscurity completely turned it around last night. I had no idea who this girl was before the Top 36 were announced, but dammit didn’t this girl just burst out one of the best and most memorable performances of the night! Not only does she look a little like Kelly Clarkson, but she has such a subtle, yet powerful voice, it actually catches you by surprise when she belts out a high note. I love this Heart song, and I am very quick to criticize if someone sings it bad. I could not bring myself to do it with Allison. Not only was it the right song choice, but it completely brought her to the forefront of the night’s performances. Hey, Jeanine? Takes notes. THIS is how you lift yourself from obscurity.
Chances: EXCELLENT

6) Kris Allen - sung "Man in the Mirror" – I felt bad for Kris. For one, he spells name like a girl. (K-R-I-S? Am I wrong people?) Second, he also suffers from the Idol disease, “no-exposure-itis”. Despite all that, I really didn’t think his performance was that bad. He has a pretty decent voice, but I have to question picking a Michael Jackson song. Actually I have to question picking this particular Jackson song. As one of the judges pointed out, it started out pretty rough, pitchy and all over the place. Once the tempo picked up, his voice finally found itself, and you could hear how good of a singer Kris was. Also, he was VERY easy on the eyes, bordering the elusive “hottie” borderline. But unfortunately, I don’t think his decent performance or good looks will help him get over his overwhelming “no-exposure-itis”. Maybe he’ll be back for the Wild Card round? Chances: SLIM

7) Megan Corkrey - sung "Put Your Records On" – Again, another disappointment. I really dug this girl’s sound when I first heard her in the auditions, but this was such a boring song choice. It really didn’t make her stand out at all, and that’s what’s frustrating. This girl had pretty decent screen time between her audition and Hollywood week, but she didn’t stand out now, when it counted the most. She sounded pretty good, but the fact is her performance was over all, forgettable. Add to that her herky-jerky movements, and it leaves you saying “ehh”. If fans can remember how good she was in the beginning, she may get a fighting chance for a spot...but I doubt it. Chances: SLIM

8) Matt Breitzke – sung "If You Could Only See" – If there was any proof this was the night of bad song choices, Matt’s choice should be on top of the heap. Can we say “completely wrong”? Matt has a very soulful voice, and this song was anything but soulful. What was he thinking? His voice being what it is, and the song being as low tempo as it is, I’m really not surprised the judges all thought the performance was boring. I did too. In fact, I think I nodded off during the performance, which says a lot. Matt was the eighth contestant to perform tonight, just like, coincidentally, Michael Sarver was last week. Is Idol subtly trying to say these guys are similar so he should go through? Is there a conspiracy? Probably not, but that’s the only way this performance could be bumped up to “memorable”. Sorry Matt, but I think Michael “roughneck” Sarver was the better performer. Chances: SLIM

9) Jesse Langseth – sung "Bette Davis Eyes" – I cannot for the life of me get this girl’s sound. While it was a good vocal, and a decent performance, something about this girl put me off. Could it be the way she spoke and agreed with everything each judge said, as they were talking? I’m not sure, but over all, putting that aside, it wasn’t a bad performance. This was another girl who pretty much appeared out of nowhere into the Top 36, but unlike a few others, she definitely stood out. I’m not sure her vocals were good enough to instantly get her through, but I think she stands a decent chance of getting into that “runner-up” position after the top boy and top girl are chosen. Chances: GOOD

10) Kai Kalama – sung "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" – Something about Kai makes me like him. I don’t know if it’s his personality, his vocal sound or the fact that he takes care of his ailing mother; something is instantly likable about him. I have to agree with the judges that this song wasn’t exactly the right song choice for him. It was sung very well, but it left me a bit bored. I am really digging the way his vocals sound though. I’m on the fence about Kai, and though I think he got semi-bad reviews from the judges, I think his likeability gives him a decent shot at the “runner-up” position. Chances: GOOD

11) Mishavonna Henson - sung "Drops of Jupiter" - The only thing memorable about this contestant is her name. This performance screamed “bad song choice”, and Simon called her out on it; the song made her seem older, even though she is only eighteen. I think this girl had a decent voice, it’s just it was the wrong song for the night. Her vocals were decent, but the judges were right about her range; the girl comes off as a 50-year-old. When Kara told her she needs to “loosen up”, I thought to myself that was the problem; she sung too stiffly, and it was off-putting. I sincerely doubt she will get through. Chances: SLIM

12) Adam Lambert – sung "Satisfaction" - Man oh man, I am still on the fence about Adam. I will say this; he must have read some reviews somewhere, because he toned down the eye-liner. Choosing to do a Rolling Stones song is like choosing to do a song from one of the untouchable divas (Whitney, Mariah, Celine, etc); it will either be your swan song out of the competition, or what makes you stand out. Somehow, Adam fell right in the middle of that judgment. He was neither bad, but he wasn’t really as good as Kara, Paula and Randy made him out to be. I agreed with Simon, where he said there were some parts of the song that were really great, and some were really, really bad. Even though he toned it down, I think he still oversings some parts, but he’s slowly growing out of that habit. (I understand he’s used to over-singing because of his stage musical background.) Overall though, I have to say it was a pretty solid performance, and Adam’s consistency is the major factor that will contribute to him getting to the Top 12. Chances: EXCELLENT

That’s it for this week, faithful readers.

What did we think? Did everyone pick the wrong song or what? Did anyone stand out for you? Am I way off the mark this week? More importantly, what is my prediction this week?

Guy with the most votes, going to the Top 12: Adam Lambert
Girl with the most votes, going to the Top 12: Allison Iraheta
Runner-up going to the Top 12 choices: Matt Giraud, Jesse Langseth or Kai Kalama
My pick? Matt Giraud

Remember to join as a follower! (I refuse to beg again, but I will if it will help)

Until next week readers!

American Idol – Week One - First 12 Compete

Wow, talk about getting off to a rocky start. Besides maybe 4 contestants who stood out, everyone else was either “blah” or just downright awful.

So it begins my fellow Idol fans; the live shows. I have to admit, I kind of like the new approach to building the Top 12.

In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s the gist of it: the entire Top 36 are split into 3 groups of 12, mixed both boys and girls. Week one, (this week), the first 12 contestants compete. Of those 12, depending on fan’s votes, the top guy with the most votes and the top girl with the most votes will automatically get into the Top 12. The final “runner up”, which could be a girl or boy, will be the third person chosen for the Top 12. This means that 9 people will be eliminated tonight.

This continues for the next 2 weeks, as the next 2 sets of 12 performers compete and the fans vote, which will give us our Top 9. The 4th and final week, will be the famous “wild card” round, which if I remember correctly, the judges choose their pick? Not sure how that’s gonna work with 4 judges, but I guess the wild card round will be explained better as we get closer to it.

I think this is a great enhancement to the show’s formula. In a way, it gives fans more control as to who’s in their Top 12. We can also get to our Top 12 a lot faster, and we can start to see stand outs.

Before I go on to the performances, please, I’m imploring my readers, join the blog as a follower! I can’t submit my blog until I have a certain number of followers/readers. I know you guys read it! I see your comments!

Anyway, enough begging. Time to get to the meat of the blog; the performances. I broke down my assessments with 4 categories after each critique, based on their chances of making into the Top 12, based on last night’s performances; NO CHANCE, SLIM, GOOD, EXCELLENT.

Let’s begin:

1) Jackie Tohn – sung "A Little Less Conversation" – Ugh, she still annoys me. And her outfit was so distracting; I almost glazed over listening to her sing. Sneakers and spandex pants? Really? Yikes. Add to that her rather manic performance, and it isn’t a really great start to the show. I mean, what’s wrong with Randy, Kara and Paula? Is Simon the only one who saw what I saw? The others pretty much said the vocals were okay, but they were entertained. Simon said it best when he told Jackie she “played the clown”. I couldn’t agree more, since at this point in the competition, you need to impress fans with your voice, not a gimmick. Chances: SLIM

2) Ricky Braddy - sung "A Song For You" - This guy had the unfortunate luck of being one of those contestants who had little or no exposure during the Hollywood rounds. So he’s coming into this completely new to the audience. I have to admit it was good, and I agree with the judges he deserves a chance to prove himself. His voice has a subtle power to it that can sneak up on you. He reminds me a bit of Elliot Yamen. But Simon did point out he lacks a certain “star quality”. While I agree with Simon, I don’t think that’s Ricky’s fault. If he would have gotten more exposure, perhaps he wouldn’t be lacking so much. That being said though, Simon is right, it probably will be his downfall. Chances: SLIM


3) Alexis Grace - sung "Never Loved a Man" - Wow, this girl really impressed me. I find myself agreeing with Simon a lot tonight, and it was proven beyond a doubt when Simon said something I had thought of during Alexis’ performance: she reminds me of Kelly Clarkson. It was that slow build to a powerful note, and she proved she had the chops to handle this classic song. The judges kept talking about how she came out of her shell, etc. I think her pure singing voice and likability will get her through to the Top 12. Chances: EXCELLENT



4) Brent Keith - sung "Hicktown” - I have to admit, he’s not too hard on the eyes. But due to this relatively unknown song (unless you’re a huge country fan), I’m afraid poor Brent may not get by. I understand about staying true to your roots, and wanting to sing a song that would define you as an artist. But let’s be real here, who is actually going to remember Brent’s performance? He sounded good, and I can’t definitely see him doing well in the country category. (in fact, he already competed in Nashville Star, so he’s already had a shot at fame). Chances: SLIM

5) Stevie Wright – sung "You Belong to Me” - If I can quote Randy, “It was not good dude.” I see where Stevie’s logic came from; sing a song from a young hip artist. Problem is, her voice could not handle it. This was a completely wrong choice of song for Stevie. Yes, it was a Taylor Swift song, but I don’t think that actually helped her. It was pitchy and all over the place. I dug Stevie at first, but this performance brought her down a few notches. Simon ended the review by saying Stevie had zero chance of advancing. I tend to agree.
Chances: NO CHANCE

6) Anoop Desai - sung "Angel of Mine” - I still can’t believe what a soulful voice this guy has. The stink of Sanjaya can finally be washed away. He played it a bit too safe for my tastes, but the judges gave him somewhat positive feedback. I think Anoop has a good shot at being the third person to get through to the Top 12, but not the top vote-getting guy. I think he needs to break out and impress the audience like he did during his first audition and Hollywood week. Chances: GOOD

7) Casey Carlson - sung "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" - Wow. This bordered on excruciating. It was every kind of horrible you could think of. It was so karaoke, it hurt me. I love the Police, and to take on such a great song at this level of the competition is suicide. She was off-key, her pitch was all over the place, and it came off corny and annoying. On top of that, she changes the words to "Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic." Come on, Casey. You mess with a classic, and on top of that you change the words? Simon was right when he said you pretty much just threw away your once chance.
Chances: NO CHANCE

8) Michael Sarver - sung "I Don't Want to Be" - Dear Lord, can we PLEASE tell Idol producers that this Gavin DeGraw song is no longer a choice for any contestant? I am sooo tired of this song being sung on this show, it makes me almost cringe. Michael did a pretty decent job with it, but I think the song was too big for him. I thought it was a very bad song choice. Randy pointed out how Michael has more of a soulful voice, and this song just didn’t fit. I really agree, though Simon did point out that Michael is such a nice guy, he might get by strictly on his personality. Fans just like him. Based on that, his shot is pretty good at being the third contestant in. Chances: GOOD

9) Ann Marie Boskovich - sung "Natural Woman" - I’m on the fence about Ann Marie. It was a pretty solid performance, but in the end it wasn’t memorable enough for me. She didn’t really stand out, though her voice sounded great. I think she just picked a rather boring song, and it didn’t really showcase her voice as it should have. While I don’t think it was a bad performance per se, I just don’t think it was strong enough to make it to the Top 12. Chances: SLIM

10) Stephen Fowler – sung "Rock With You" - The infamous contestant who forgot the words to his song and walked off the stage during the final Hollywood rounds. How he made it to the Top 36, I’ll never know. I have to agree with Paula (what? There’s a first time for everything.) When she said that Stephen should have sung the song he forgot the words to during Hollywood week. It would have been almost redeeming to both him and the audience. He chose to sing a Michael Jackson song, which is a huge risk. It didn’t work in my opinion. While the vocals were pretty decent, and his voice was good, it was just so forgettable and so sub-par, that audiences would forget by the next performer who Stephen was and what he sung. Chances: SLIM

11) Tatiana Del Toro - sung "Saving All My Love For You" – Oh my goodness, does Simon call it like he sees it or what? At the end of Tatiana’s performance, he called her a "complete and utter drama queen". Thank you, Simon. You couldn’t be more right. I almost choked on my tea when he followed up by saying that she is “desperate to be famous”. And this is what annoys me about Tatiana. She reeks of desperation. When she said she was singing a Whitney Houston song, I instantly thought, “suicide – you don’t touch the divas”. Putting my dislike of her aside for a sec, it was actually not as bad as I was expecting it to be. If only Tatiana would tone down the crazy, and let her voice carry her, she could actually get pretty far. There were parts of the song were I realized, for all her drama, this girl does have a good voice. And I would have said her chances were good, until we get to the post-performance interview. Just before Ryan gave out her number, she blurts out “please vote for me, this is my dream, my passion…” blah blah blah. Tatiana, did you see anyone else border on begging fans like you did? Add that to the crazy drama we witnessed from her up to this point, and her chances pretty much went out the window. Chances: NO CHANCE

12) Danny Gokey - sung "Hero" - Danny is a front-runner, and I admit, maybe the word of mouth about Danny may put some undue pressure on him. But seriously? He still sounds amazing, and one of the most memorable voices and performances of the evening. I mean, taking on Mariah Carey? Remember, I said you can’t touch the divas. But Danny pulled it off. Now I will agree with Simon, it wasn’t as mind blowing as the other three judges made it out to be. I’m a fan of Danny’s, so to be fair, it wasn’t his best performance. But was it good enough to get into the Top 12? Most definitely. Chances: EXCELLENT

So there you are, my readers. First week is done, and we find out tonight who moves into the Top 12. Nine people are eliminated tonight, but I have a feeling we’ll see a few of them back for “wild card” week.

My prediction?
Guy with the most votes, going to the Top 12: Danny Gokey
Girl with the most votes, going to the Top 12: Alexis Grace
Runner-up going to the Top 12: Michael Sarver or Anoop Desai

What do you guys think? Who was your favorite? Who was the worst? Who deserves another shot? The live performances have begin so let’s hear from you!

Remember to join as a follower!

Until next week readers!

American Idol – Hollywood Round Finals

Tatiana?! Really!?

If those words don’t make any sense to you, then you obviously haven’t seen both episodes of Idol this week.
Go ahead, go watch them if you haven’t.
I’ll wait.

Finished?

Are you as dumb-founded as I was to some of the judges’ decisions? I mean, I know when you break it down, this is still a reality show, but come on! I thought this show was supposed to be about talented singers, and not obviously sub-par singers who have a good shtick or are so annoying, they are put through just to get on fans’ nerves?

Now you can argue there have always been sub-par singers on Idol, and I’ll agree with you to a degree; none of them were ever through for such transparent reasons, none of which is singing talent. But we’ll get to that, soon enough.

So when I sat down to write this week’s blog, I found myself a bit lost for words. Not because the contestants were that bad, but in these final two Hollywood rounds, there really isn’t much singing involved for me to critique. This week is basically a week of “you made it” or “sorry you didn’t make it”, so how could I possibly write about that?


I decided the only solution was to take the Top 36 that was decided, and give my opinion on whether or not they deserved to be there, did this person appear out of no where, does he/she stand a chance, will they make to the Top 12, etc.

I’m also going to throw in a couple of people who didn’t make it, since it was surprising they weren't in the Top 36. That gives me a lot to cover, so lets get started right away, shall we?

TOP 36:

1) Adam Lambert - I don’t think he’s a bad singer, but man, does he cake on that eye liner or what?! I mean, it’s so over the top it borders on distracting. I like his slow-downed rendition of Cher’s “Believe” on night one, and I can what he bring to Season Eight. I think he stands a good chance of making to the Top 12.

2) Matt Giraud - I always kind of dug this guy. The dueling piano player has sort of a “fun Billy Joel” type of vibe to him. I thought he over did his song on night one, and thought he was in trouble, but apparently the judges loved it. I can see him in the Top 12 too.

3) Danny Gokey - Come on...really, did you have a doubt at all that Danny wasn’t going to make it through? The guy has been consistently good; so good I can see him sailing into not only the Top 12, but the Top TEN. (remember, only the top ten get to go on tour). Danny got in, but did his good buddy go through? Find out...........down the blog. Heh. (What? I can do what Seacrest does...can't I?)

4) Anoop Desai – I still can’t believe such a voice comes out of his body! But he makes it to Season Eight, and will hopefully wash away any left over “stink” that Sanjaya left a couple of seasons back.

5) Jorge Nunez – I suppose he sounds pretty good. He’s been constantly getting through each round, so no surprise he made it to the Top 36. Seems like a great guy, but I can’t get past his face; I want to trim those eyebrows so bad, it’s killing me.

6) Scott Macintyre - Like Danny before him, most people I talk to liked this guy from his audition round. Though he’s blind, Scott won the hearts of fans already, so watch him get pretty far. And kudos to Idol for not letting a petty thing like blindness deprive fans from hearing this guy’s great musical talents.

7) Kendall Beard - You’re going to find I’m gonna do this a lot on a few of the Top 36, and that is...huh? I don’t remember this girl at all, save for the one clip they keep showing from Hollywood week. Somehow she made to Season Eight. Not sure how far she’ll go since she’s obviously not that memorable.

8) Stevie Wright - I only remembered her because she was named after Stevie Nicks. I remember she sounded pretty good, but I don’t remember seeing much of her during Hollywood week. Glad she made it in, though I’m not sure she’s strong enough to make it to the finals.

9) Lil Rounds - Couldn’t possibly forget this mother of two with the big booming voice. I can see her making it to the Top 12, unless she seriously messes up before that.

10) Kristen McNamara – I only remembered her because she was in the center of the major drama group that imploded (with drama queen, Nathaniel). In the final yes/no interview, she had to sing for her life against out-of-the-blue contestant Jenn Korbee. Truth be told, Jenn was actually a lot better in my opinion. But the judges disagreed with me, so Kristen makes it to the Top 36.

11) Mishavonna Henson - Umm...who? All they mention about her is that she got eliminated last season on the second night of Hollywood week. Okay? And now we just see her again now? What happened to her during Hollywood week? We couldn’t catch a glimpse then?

12) Tatiana Del Toro - Dear Lord, do not get me started. I wouldn’t even know were to begin. This girl has been the Princess of Annoying almost from day one, and it only got progressively worse throughout the competition. By some miracle (because her voice, though not bad, isn’t that strong) she makes it to Season Eight. I predict since the voting process is in the fans’ hands now, she’ll be gone. (that is assuming that she doesn’t become VoteForTheWorst.com’s choice, which will prove harder to get rid of her.) That’s all I’m saying about this girl, because any more words wasted on her will cause me to gauge my ears out with a blunt spoon so I don’t ever have to hear her shrilly, high pitched laugh again.

13) Alexis Grace - Barely remembered her, but I did remember I liked her voice. Glad she made it.

14) Jasmine Murray - My gut instinct was telling me she was gonna make it, and I was right. Great voice, and even better, great attitude. Friendly and talented will get you far.




15) Nathanial Marshall – Oh Lordie. The drama queen made it to the Top 36. I swear this boy cries at the drop of a hat, it’s really quite unusual. I mean, yes, it’s totally fine to be emotional. It is a good quality, but COME ON! If I’m yelling at the TV, telling you to “Man up!”, there is a serious issue here. If he doesn’t learn to control the waterworks, he is never going to make it into the Top 12. Even worse, he’ll turn off fans with his constant blubbering, and fans will respond by not voting. Careful Nate.

16) Joanna Pacitti - As of Wednesday night, we saw that she made it into Season Eight. But as of Thursday morning, I learned that she was disqualified for having prior recording contracts. Umm...isn’t this what I’ve been saying from the beginning? Wasn’t this the same problem with Carly Smithson from last season? What’s different now? Did producers finally give in to pressure from fans? Who knows, but since Joanna is DQ, relative unknown contestant Felicia Barton takes her place.

17) Nick Mitchell - Can someone tell me, how and why this joke is on Season Eight? He actually said, “My dream is to play a character as I sing a song.” Okay...this isn’t a variety show, though with the addition of Nick’s character “Norman Gentle”, it might as well be. Obviously a producer pick, this guy needs to be sent packing. He makes a mockery of the whole competition, and I find him downright irritating.

18) Anne Marie Boskovich - I remember her well, though I’m not sure she’s good enough to make it to the Top 12. Maybe she’ll change my mind when the live competition starts next week.

19) Ju'Not Joyner - I think the first time I saw him was night one of this week’s auditions. It wasn’t bad, very curious to see how far he gets.







20) Kai Kalama - The guy who takes care of his ailing mother. Couldn’t forget him. I’m surprised he made it to the Top 36, since he messed up a few times during Hollywood week. Glad to see him go through.

21) Michael Sarver - The oil rig guy makes it through to season eight! He might make it to the Top 12, since I think he’s better then the welder guy. (more on that later) I still think his head is too small for his body.

22) Von Smith - I am so on the fence about Von. He’s a decent singer, with a very good sound, but he over sings EVERYTHING. I mean anything I’ve heard Von sing so far, he completely over works it and it sounds terrible. Simon called him out once by saying his song was "self-indulgent nonsense." I hope Von learned his lesson, because it’s easy to slip off the fence to the wrong side.

23) Alex Wagner-Trugman – Wasn’t this the guy who taught himself to sing in his closet, and then got really sick because of mold? If it is, I do remember him. He has this geeky sort of charm to him. He had to sing for his life against Cody Sheldon, the kid who likes to make horror movies. Honestly, they could have taken either one, it wouldn’t have made much difference, both of them have about the same chances of winning and/or making to the Top 12: very slim.

24) Taylor Vaifanua - Huh? Who? Okay, no opinion, on account this is the first I’ve seen her.










25 - 30)














Arianna Afsar, Casey Carlson, Allison Iraheta, Ricky Braddy, Jeanine Vailes, Kris Allen – See #24.

31) Megan Corkrey – I remember this girl from the third week of auditions, and I remembered liking her sound. I’m glad she made it to the Top 36, because not only is she pretty, but she has a very nice voice.

32) Brent Keith – I remember him distinctly because he was the hottie country dude. Good voice though too.

33) Stephen Fowler – How he made it through, I’ll never know. He messed up big time by forgetting the words to his song…and yet somehow he made it through. Maybe Simon was kidding when he said “You forget the words, you’re out.”?

34) Jackie Tohn - Something still annoys me about this girl, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I have no idea. She’s a decent singer, and her voice reminds me of Melissa Ethridge.

35) Matt Breitzke – This is the welder dude with a very soulful voice. This family man could definitely belt out a good tune, though I don’t think his voice was as strong as Michael Sarver’s. (the oil rig guy)

36) Jesse Langseth – Never saw her before, but she had a sing off with Frankie Jordan, who I did remember. I thought she had a decent voice, though I’m not sure it’s strong enough to win.






The Eliminated:

Jamar Rogers – Danny Gokey’s best friend, didn’t make it. I have to say, I wasn’t surprised. He was never as good as Danny, and his version of "Hey There Delilah" was downright weird.

Leneshe Young – This was quite the shocker for me. I really liked this girl, but for some reason she didn’t make it. You remember her, she was the one who came from a homeless family, and sung an original song called “Nappy” at her audition.

So that’s it fellow fans!

We have our Top 36, and now the votes are in our hands. Only WE have the ability to keep or get rid of Tatiana now. (sorry, I still can’t believe she’s in)

Before I sign off this week, I remind you to please join as a follower, if you haven’t done so already. I need my numbers up!! Let me know you’re out there! (and I know you are too)

So do you like this Season’s Top 36? Who do you think should have made it, but didn’t? who stands out as your early favorite? Let your voice be heard!!
Until next week, AI fans!